MASA Executive Director
This will be my last newsletter article that I write as your executive director. For me, it is really hard to believe that I have had the privilege of serving our members for the past nine years. Time does truly fly when you are having fun! Serving you has been the pinnacle of my 43 years in education.
I must start by thanking the best staff any executive director could ever hope for! Mia Urick, Jeanna Vohnoutka, Stephanie Kastanos, Deb Larson, and Dave Christians. It is amazing what this group does day in and day out. The association members are very fortunate to have them working on their behalf.
Many thanks to each of the MASA presidents I had the opportunity to work with: Kelly Smith, Jim Hess, Jay Haugen, Lynne Kovash, Jeff Ronneberg, Scott Thielman, Curt Tryggestad, Deb Henton, and David Law. I greatly appreciated the partnership that we shared. I thank the two MASA treasurers, Chris Richardson and Jaime Skjeveland that kept the association in an excellent fiscal condition. Thanks to each of you for letting me do my job.
My last sincere thanks are for each of you! As I stated, these past nine years have been so rewarding for me. The opportunity to work on a daily basis with our members and others invested in public education at the state and national level is an experience I could not have dreamed of when I started my journey as an educator so many years ago.
The friendships that have developed will remain with me for the rest of my life! Though I am retiring from MASA, I sincerely hope that we can stay connected over time.
As this journey ends for me another will begin. As some of you know, starting in July, I will be joining CESO (Center for Effective School Operations) as a Senior Strategic Consultant. I look forward to being of service to you.
Best wishes to each of you as you continue to meet the many challenges that continue to come your way!
The public school students in Minnesota are in great hands. You are the BEST!!!
